Giving thanks

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  Yes, I love Christmas, but Thanksgiving rocks because it is all about eating.  And I REALLY love to eat.

When I am invited somewhere my first thought – sometimes first question if I am close to the host- is “what food will be there?” I’ve been known to position myself strategically at cocktail hours so I can maximize my access to the passed appetizers.  Let’s be honest passed appetizers are the best thing to happen to food since the fork and those appetizer passers can be pretty wily.

I often surprise others with how fast I can clean my plate.  Wait-staff stand in shock and awe at what I consider to be a perfectly normal level of consumption. Recently after ordering brunch at a place known for its meat specials, I overheard the waitress talking to the couple at the next table about the smoked and fried pork nuggets.  I stopped her as she passed my table to find out more.  “We do have those,” she said, slightly disturbed.  “But you’ve already ordered quite a bit to eat.”  I was deeply embarrassed and I don’t know that I will be going back.  But those pork nuggets were delicious.

But on Thanksgiving everyone is focused on eating.  It’s the one day a year where people discover the secret that I’ve known the whole year—it’s okay to unbutton the top button of your pants after a big meal. This year, I’m going to have not one but two turkey dinners on consecutive days.  The first will be with family and the second will be with friends.  Turkeys are like snowflakes-no two are exactly the same. I’m looking forward to the cooking smells, the sides and of course the eventual sandwiches.

But beyond the dinner table, this year, I have a lot to be grateful for. I digitally published a book for the first time.  I’m grateful that I was able to put out a story that I believed in and get such an incredible reception.

Epublishing Momfriends allowed me the freedom to tell my story the way I wanted to.  It may be an independent book, but I was far from alone in this endeavor.  It turns out it takes a village to make an ebook.  So here is my list of people I am grateful for, my online acknowledgements, if you will.  Momfriends would not exist without this crew.  So as I relish my thirteenth bite of my second turkey this year I am giving thanks:

To my lady friends-Mom and otherwise-you know who you are.  I am so lucky to have you to commiserate with, laugh with and lean on.

To Kelly Blair for creating the fantastic cover and wearing fabulous shoes.

To Lynn Messina for answering SOS calls, sharing research and cheese down the middle, and thorough copy-editing.

To Karen Oh for all-nighters and web site creation with style, savvy and integrity.

To Steve Moors for great pictures and good karma.

To Joshua Tallent at eBook Architects for formatting the book so fabulously and fast.

To Mike Greaney for being the best editor, teammate, everything.

To YOU for coming to the site.  I hope you come again,

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.  Go back for thirds.